Connector with wire holding force

Abstract

A connector includes a housing. A retainer is mounted on the housing from an opening and includes a locking lance facing a cable and resiliently displaceable in one direction toward the cable. The locking lance resiliently contacts and holds the cable. The locking lance includes a curved portion curved in conformity with an outer surface of the cable and two projections projecting in a direction opposite to the one direction from ends of the curved portion. The housing includes a pressing portion to bring the curved portion into surface contact with the outer surface of the cable by pressing the projections in the one direction. A slit is between the projections of the curved portion and extends in an extending direction of the cable.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector, comprising:
 a housing including an opening through which a wire is to be inserted; and 
 a retainer to be mounted on the housing, including at least one locking lance disposed to substantially face the wire and resiliently displaceable in one direction toward the wire and configured to hold the wire by the locking lance resiliently contacting the wire; 
 wherein: 
 the locking lance includes at least one curved portion having a curved shape substantially in conformity with an outer peripheral surface of the wire and at least one projection projecting in a direction opposite to the one direction from the curved portion in a curved direction; and 
 the housing includes at least one pressing portion configured to resiliently displace the curved portion in the one direction and bring the curved portion into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wire by pressing the pair of projections in the one direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one projection comprises two of the projections projecting in a direction opposite to the one direction from both ends of the curved portion in a curved direction. 
     
     
       3. The connector of  claim 2 , further comprising a slit between the two projections of the curved portion and extending in an extending direction of the wire. 
     
     
       4. The connector of  claim 3 , wherein the pressing portion is configured to press the projections in the one direction to resiliently displace the curved portion in the one direction and to bring the curved portion into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wire. 
     
     
       5. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the retainer is mounted on the housing from the opening. 
     
     
       6. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion includes at least one individual pressing portion configured to press the projection in the one direction. 
     
     
       7. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pressing portion projects in a direction opposite to a mounting direction of the retainer and resiliently displaces the curved portion in the one direction by contacting at least one end of the at least one projection in a projecting direction. 
 
     
     
       8. The connector of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one projection has a tapered surface inclined from the end of the at least one projection in the projecting direction toward a surface of the curved portion opposite to a contact surface with the wire in the mounting direction of the retainer. 
     
     
       9. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the locking lance and the pressing portion are provided on both sides across the wire. 
     
     
       10. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the curved portion comprises at least one sawtooth-like portion having a sawtooth-like cross-section on a portion facing the wire.